Prairie dog hunting
- Thread starter Itsazonik
- Start date
Well to bring this back I couldn't decide between a 223 and a 22-250 so I just ordered both. I ordered a 223 wylde 20" barrel and a savage model 11 in 22-250. I also ordered 500 pieces of 22-250 brass. I have thousands of pieces of 223 brass. Now I just need bullets in bulk and I'll be good to start testing
Pretty much a perfect plan
I know this an old thread. How did it go?
I myself have 2 Savage model 12s in 223 that I use for pdogs. I use them to shoot out to 500 yards depending on wind conditions. I also have a Savage model 12 in 243 for the longer range shots. I normally shoot this from 300-700 yards. In heavier wind conditions too. Keep in mind a 22-250 will get hotter muc quicker than a 223 will.
I myself have 2 Savage model 12s in 223 that I use for pdogs. I use them to shoot out to 500 yards depending on wind conditions. I also have a Savage model 12 in 243 for the longer range shots. I normally shoot this from 300-700 yards. In heavier wind conditions too. Keep in mind a 22-250 will get hotter muc quicker than a 223 will.
Homebrewer
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I reaallly love shooting prairie dogs.
I learned more about shooting long range on PD's than anywhere else... and with hitting PD's consistently it is more about reading the wind than just bullet drop alone. It is not unusual to shoot crosswind at 20mph on western KS dog towns, and mornings with calm wind conditions are short in duration.
Smaller calibers with lower horsepower work great as long as the wind is low, meaning less than about 10mph. About the first hour or so of daylight.
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I have and carried 3 rifles to shoot PDs.
Savage 112-V in 220 Swift,
Savage 112-V in 243Win, and
Ruger 77V in 308Win.
Shoot the Swift until the barrel started to get hot, then go to the 243 and rotate back to the Swift until I needed the 308 due to wind conditions...
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The 112-V is a single shot bolt with no magazine cutout in the receiver, and 26" barrel. These are both shooters, and the swift still throws groups under dime size at 100yds. If a PD made the mistake of standing up inside of 400yds in a moderate wind - that was its last mistake.
My 308 shoots 168's into a 1/2" group at 200yds. I use the 308 once the wind picks up on longer targets - this rifle has connected on PDs out to 625yds when I read the wind correctly. Team work with your spotter is a great help as range and wind increases.
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Savage quit making the 112-V single shot. The closest is probably the model 12 Varmint Low Profile now.
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/12VLPDBM
Dennis
I learned more about shooting long range on PD's than anywhere else... and with hitting PD's consistently it is more about reading the wind than just bullet drop alone. It is not unusual to shoot crosswind at 20mph on western KS dog towns, and mornings with calm wind conditions are short in duration.
Smaller calibers with lower horsepower work great as long as the wind is low, meaning less than about 10mph. About the first hour or so of daylight.
-
I have and carried 3 rifles to shoot PDs.
Savage 112-V in 220 Swift,
Savage 112-V in 243Win, and
Ruger 77V in 308Win.
Shoot the Swift until the barrel started to get hot, then go to the 243 and rotate back to the Swift until I needed the 308 due to wind conditions...
-
The 112-V is a single shot bolt with no magazine cutout in the receiver, and 26" barrel. These are both shooters, and the swift still throws groups under dime size at 100yds. If a PD made the mistake of standing up inside of 400yds in a moderate wind - that was its last mistake.
My 308 shoots 168's into a 1/2" group at 200yds. I use the 308 once the wind picks up on longer targets - this rifle has connected on PDs out to 625yds when I read the wind correctly. Team work with your spotter is a great help as range and wind increases.
-
Savage quit making the 112-V single shot. The closest is probably the model 12 Varmint Low Profile now.
http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/model/12VLPDBM
Dennis
Both rifles sighted in great. I took them to our 1000 yard range and started testing at 100 and worked out from there. I got lucky it was a low wind day. My 223 did great out to about 400 yards before opening up. Once I get more testing time I will load my own and bring it back together. The 22-250 did amazing out to 600 yards before opening up. It was a long day. I was letting the rifles cool down between 5 shot groups. Now I just have to find time to go hunt. Right now I'm in gator season and trying to get out on the river to get y 2 tags filled. Had a boat to use but the motor blew on my friend when he had it out on the gulf. Trying to find a new option without paying for a guide.
RattlesnakeDan
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In Montana F & G gives out maps of prairie dog towns. They are numbered so you know where to go, they like them shot.
We stayed closer to home in Bozeman, where we shot those ground squirrels, we called them "pot-guts" they look just like mini prairie dogs. It was one thing ranchers let you shoot all you wanted. When we got tired we would go shoot them with bows until our fingers were raw. In the spring the babies were out and were dumb enough to keep coming back up to get close shots. Good fun!
We stayed closer to home in Bozeman, where we shot those ground squirrels, we called them "pot-guts" they look just like mini prairie dogs. It was one thing ranchers let you shoot all you wanted. When we got tired we would go shoot them with bows until our fingers were raw. In the spring the babies were out and were dumb enough to keep coming back up to get close shots. Good fun!